1970 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1970. Events and publications * Denis Kitchen founds Kitchen Sink Press in Princeton, Wisconsin January * Detective Comics #395: "The Secret of the Waiting Graves", the first collaboration between Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. (DC Comics) * Our Fighting Forces #123 (January/February cover date) (DC Comics) : First appearance of the Losers * Avengers #72 (Marvel Comics) : First appearance of Zodiac, as well as team members Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Taurus, and Virgo * The Amazing Spider-Man #80: "On the trail of... the Chameleon!" (Marvel Comics) * Charlton Comics, with issue #18, publishes its final issue of Flash Gordon (1966 series). March * Teen Titans #26 (March/April cover date) (DC Comics) : First appearance of Mal Duncan, DC Comics' first black superhero. * Lloyd Jacquet, founder of Funnies, Inc., dies at age 71. April * Green Lantern #76, Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams became the creative team and rechristen the title as Green Lantern/Green Arrow. This begins a long story arc in which the characters undertook a social-commentary journey across America.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 139: "Real-world politics have always gone hand-in-hand with comics and their creators' own personal perspectives. Yet this was never more creatively expressed than when writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams paired the liberal Green Arrow with the conservative Green Lantern." * Last Gasp debuts as a publisher with the underground anthology Slow Death Funnies #1. June * Detective Comics #400: "Challenge of the Man-Bat", by Frank Robbins, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano. (DC Comics) : First appearance of the Man-Bat.Greenberger and Manning, p. 177 "Adams helped darken Gotham City in the 1970s and the scene was set for a new host of major villains. One of the first was Man-Bat, who debuted in the pages of 1970's Detective Comics #400." July * ''Fantastic Four #100: "The Long Journey Home", by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Joe Sinnott. (Marvel Comics) September * The Flash #200: "Count 200 — and Die", by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick, and Murphy Anderson. (DC Comics) * Showcase (1956 series), with issue #93, is cancelled by DC Comics. * Fantastic Four #102: After 102 consecutive issues written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, Kirby's final issue as Fantastic Four artist (and his temporary departure from Marvel Comics). * Silver Surfer, with issue #18, cancelled by Marvel. October * Jack Kirby, with issue #133, debuts as writer/artist on Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, introducing the concepts and characters of his Fourth World epic.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 141 "Since no ongoing creative team had been slated to Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, "King of Comics" Jack Kirby made the title his DC launch point, and the writer/artist's indelible energy and ideas permeated every panel and word balloon of the comic." In his first issue alone, Kirby creates the characters Morgan Edge and Intergang, as well as Project Cadmus, a fictional government genetic engineering project. November * Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (DC Comics) : First appearance of Darkseid * Robert M. Overstreet publishes the first edition of his Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, soon to become the primary authority on the subject of American comic book grading and pricing. December * Adventure Comics #400: 35th anniversary issue, "Return of the Black Flame!", by Mike Sekowsky. * Challengers of the Unknown (1958 series), with issue #77 (December 1970/January 1971 cover date), is canceled by DC Comics. * Metal Men (1963 series), with issue #41 (December 1970/January 1971 cover date), is canceled by DC. *''Fantastic Four'' #105: "Monster in the Streets", drawn by John Romita, Sr. Conventions * Comicon '70 (British Comic Art Convention) (Rutland Hotel, Sheffield, England) — organized by Sam PlumbSkinn, Dez. "Early days of UK comics conventions and marts," DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013. * Disneyland Hotel Comicon (Anaheim, California) — one and only event of its kind * Phoenixcon (Phoenix, Arizona) — produced by Bruce HamiltonBeerbohm, Robert. "Update to Comics Dealer Extraordinaire Robert Beerbohm: In His Own Words," Comic-Convention Memories (June 24, 2010). * March 21: Golden State Comic-Minicon (U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego, California) — Shel Dorf organizes a one-day convention "as a kind of 'dry run' for the larger convention he hopes to stage."Evanier, Mark. POV Online: "Shel Dorf, R.I.P." (column of November 3, 2009). Official guests: Forrest J. Ackerman, Mike Royer * June: Multicon 70 (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) * July 3–5: Metro Comic Art Convention (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) * August 1–3: Golden State Comic-Con (U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego) — Dorf's first three-day San Diego comics convention, it draws 300 people.Comic-Con Souvenir Book #40 p.61 (2009). Official guests: Forrest J. Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, Jack Kirby, Bob Stevens, A. E. van Vogt * September 5–7: Triple Fan FairSloane, Leonard. "Nostalgia for Extinct Pop Culture Creates Industry," New York Times (Mar. 22, 1970) (Howard Johnson New Center Motor Lodge, Detroit, Michigan) — Program dedicated to Jack Kirby. Western-themed cover by Jim Steranko and interior art pages by Neal Adams and Bernie Wrightson. Awards Shazam Awards Presented in 1971 for comics published in 1970: (Award presentation: May 12, 1971, at the Statler Hilton Hotel's Terrace Ballroom.) * Best Story: "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight", by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76 (DC Comics) * Best Continuing Feature: Green Lantern/Green Arrow (DC Comics) * Best Drama Writer: Dennis O'Neil * Best Drama Penciller: Neal Adams * Best Drama Inker: Dick Giordano * Best Letterer: Sam Rosen * Best Colorist: Jack Adler * Best Humor Penciller: Bob Oksner * Best Humor Inker: Henry Scarpelli * Best Humor Writer: Carl Barks, The Junior Woodchucks (Gold Key Comics) * Best New Talent: Barry Smith * Outstanding Achievement by an Individual: Jim Steranko, for The Steranko History of Comics * Best Foreign Title: Legionarios del Espacio (writer-artist Esteban Maroto, Spain) * Special Recognition Outside the Field: Nostalgia Press (for comic strip reprints) * Hall of Fame: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster * Special Plaque: Stan Lee ("for forming ACBA") First Issue by title DC Comics All-Star Western vol. 2 : Release: September. Editor: Dick Giordano. Marvel Comics Amazing Adventures vol. 2 : Release: August. Editor: Stan Lee. Astonishing Tales : Release: August. Editor: Stan Lee. Conan the Barbarian : Release: October. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Barry Smith and Dan Adkins. Fear : Release: November. Editor: Stan Lee. Ka-Zar : Release: January. Editor: Stan Lee. Outlaw Kid (second series) : Release: August. Editor: Stan Lee. Where Monsters Dwell : Release: August. Editor: Stan Lee. Western Gunfighters (second series) : Release: August. Editor: Stan Lee. Independent titles Hulk: The Manga : Release: by Weekly Bokura Magazine. Writer: Kazuo Koike. Artists: Yoshihiro Moritou and Kosei Saigou. Oriental Heroes : Release: by Jade Dynasty. Writer/Artist: Wong Yuk Long. Spider-Man: The Manga : Release: by Monthly Shōnen Magazine. Writer/Artist: Ryoichi Ikegami. Initial appearance by character name DC Comics * Appa Ali Apsa, in Green Lantern vol. 2 #76 (April) * Darkseid, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (November) * El Diablo, in All-Star Western #2 (October) * Mal Duncan, in Teen Titans #26 (March/April) * Morgan Edge, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 (October) * Intergang, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 (October) * Lilith, in Teen Titans #25 (January/February) * Losers, in Our Fighting Forces #123 (January/February) * Man-Bat, in Detective Comics #400 (June) * Rose and the Thorn in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #105McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 141 "The second feature uncovered the roots of Rose Forrest/Thorn's identity, as told by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru." * Ten-Eyed Man, in Batman #226 (November) Marvel Comics * Arkon, in Avengers #76 (April) * Firebrand, in Iron Man #27 (July) * Richard Fisk, in The Amazing Spider-Man #83 (April) * Freak (Eddie March), in Iron Man #21 (January) * Garokk, in Astonishing Tales #2 (November) * Guardsman, in Iron Man #31 (November) * Kangaroo, in The Amazing Spider-Man #81 (February) * Llyra, in Sub-Mariner #32 (December) * Starr the Slayer, in Chamber of Darkness #4 (April) * Sunfire, in X-Men #64 (January) * Valkyrie (Brunnhilde), in The Avengers #83 (December) * Jim Wilson, in Incredible Hulk #131 (September) * Zodiac, in Avengers #72 (January) ** Aquarius ** Aries ** Cancer ** Capricorn ** Gemini ** Leo ** Libra ** Pisces ** Sagittarius ** Taurus ** Virgo Independent titles * Cattivik, in Tiramolla (19 July) References Category:1970 in comics Category:Incomplete literature lists